


By Any Other Name

by foxysquid



Series: Bottom Erwin Week [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Boss/Employee Relationship, Bottom Erwin Smith, Condoms, Crimes & Criminals, Florists, Flowers, M/M, Romance, Safer Sex, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-04
Updated: 2014-05-04
Packaged: 2018-01-21 21:06:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1564064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxysquid/pseuds/foxysquid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following his father's death, Erwin has inherited the flower shop they ran together.  Grieving and in financial trouble, he's unable to bring himself to hire help for the store--</p><p>Until the fateful day his smartphone is stolen by a thug.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By Any Other Name

He was late. He'd had some trouble with the arrangements. There had been a host of interruptions, and then he'd had to deal with some unexpectedly withered blooms. Was there some problem with the refrigeration? He'd have to call someone about that. Finding suitable replacements for the flowers hadn't been easy. Mrs. Anderson was a very particular client, as well as a regular customer he didn't want to risk alienating.

But he'd managed to finish, and when he'd called Mrs. Anderson to inform her of the delay, she didn't sound too annoyed. Erwin closed up the shop, putting the "back soon" sign in the window, turning the hands of the paper clock until they read three o' clock. He assumed he'd be back by then. As he turned the key in the lock, it was the strangest feeling, twisting his stomach, pressing on his lungs, and leaving him with a hollow feeling in his chest. He still wasn't used to locking up the shop when going out on a delivery. Usually, he'd say good bye to his father, and his father would wave from behind the counter, telling him to drive safely.

The shop was quiet and empty when he left it today. He tried not to think about it, but the silence weighed on him, even as he stepped out onto the busy sidewalk.

He wished he didn't have to close up at all. He needed to hire someone else. The financial outlook wasn't good, and hiring an assistant would put a strain on the already strained budget, but it was a necessity. There was only so much longer he could put it off, but hiring someone new would be the last step in admitting that his father was gone, finishing the process of starting to rebuild a new life, one without him in it.

Part of him wasn't ready to start forward into that new life, but he couldn't afford to lose the business that shutting up the shop was costing him. His father hadn't been the best businessman, and keeping the business afloat alone was going to be more trouble than he'd been prepared to deal with. As much as he loved his father, he wished he hadn't hid his financial problems. He'd been honest about so much else--why had he kept that from Erwin? If only he'd told him, Erwin could have helped. It was too late now, and he could only hope that the added stress of the financial burden hadn't contributed to his death--

He had to remind himself, it wasn't his fault.

It wasn't.

He had to focus on the business. His father wouldn't want it to fail. He'd put so much time and love into this flower shop. He'd started it when mother had died, because she'd loved flowers so much. Erwin had helped him in the shop since he was thirteen, and after college, he'd come back to work with him, to carry on the family business.

He gazed down at the blossoms in his hands. Gold and white and scarlet, they were perfectly ordered, perfectly shaped. Each petal was pristine, though within a matter of days, they would start to dry up and discolor, then fall one by one. He felt he was carrying something precious in his arms, precious and fragile.

The delivery wasn't to Mrs. Anderson's house, which would have been simple. This was for a friend of hers, who was having a party this evening. Erwin drove to the address he'd been given, but when he knocked on the door, the woman who answered shook her head and expressed nothing but confusion. No, she wasn't expecting any flowers. No, that wasn't her name. There had been some mistake. Maybe he'd written down the address wrong?

Erwin headed back toward the van, unsure of what could have gone wrong. He was usually so careful. He couldn't start making mistakes now. One arm full of flowers, he reached into his pocket with his free hand to pull out his phone. He'd call Mrs. Anderson and sort out this problem. 

Or that was his plan, but as he started to dial, suddenly, his phone was no longer in his hand. He stared down at his empty palm, only dimly aware of a dark blur that had rushed past him, its passage stirring the air. Had someone just--stolen his phone? Erwin was well aware of the danger of taking smartphones out in public, and usually he was more cautious, but in his frustration, he hadn't been thinking clearly.

He turned in the direction the blur had gone. There was someone running. He had a choice to make. He could give up on the phone and later contact the proper authorities about the theft, or he could chase after the thief. The former was the correct thing to do, and the latter was stupid and possibly dangerous.

That thought had just flashed through his head: _stupid and possibly dangerous_ when he realized he was already running down the street after the perpetrator, flowers still cradled in one arm.

The thief was fast, but Erwin was in good shape, and he was a strong distance runner. He'd run track and field in high school and in college. He ran after the thief with the intention of keeping him in view at first, not catching up with him. When the thief had tired up, then he could close the distance between them.

It was a good idea, but the person he was pursuing was even faster than he'd expected, and he had to exert more energy than he'd planned. The thief darted down a side street, then into an alleyway, then out the other side, onto a major thoroughfare filled with people. Erwin had to dodge pedestrians, and it became harder to keep his sights on the small figure fleeing before him. He must have looked ridiculous: a man in a florist's apron, clutching a bouquet as he raced down the sidewalk, but he didn't give up, and he didn't let go of his flowers--it would have felt like a defeat.

The thief turned onto another side street, then led him on a zig-zagging course through several other smaller streets. Keeping up was difficult, but the thief was already beginning to slow, and Erwin may have been tired, but he wasn't exhausted yet, regulating his breath, careful to keep it as even as possible. He started to push harder, increasing his speed for a final burst, but he realized in time that he'd been tricked. The thief wasn't as weakened as he'd seemed, and he sped up once more. He'd pretended to lose steam in a bid to get Erwin to expend his energy. He had more stamina than Erwin had expected. Erwin understood that he was going to get away, if he didn't try a new tactic.

Fortunately, he knew the streets of the city well from years of making deliveries, and this was an area he was quite familiar with. He mapped out the surrounding street in his head and tried a feint of his own: slowing down right before an intersection, he pretended to be tiring. The thief darted ahead, turning, and Erwin dodged to one side, slipping down another street that he hoped would let out right onto the thief's route. It was a gamble, but he'd used his knowledge of the area and of the thief's tactics so far to guess what path he'd take. If he was wrong, he would have lost him, and he'd be stranded far from his van with no phone, hopelessly distant from the delivery he was supposed to make.

Fortune was with him. He sprinted ahead, and there was the thief, running toward him as he took a left onto the street Erwin had taken. He realized his mistake too late. He tried to turn and run in the other direction, but Erwin leapt forward and grabbed him by the arm. It was, as he'd previously observed, a stupid thing to do. The thief could have had a knife, or worse. He could have been attacked.

But when his arm was grabbed, the thief simply stilled, staring at Erwin incredulously. With his adrenaline fading, Erwin was able to get a good look at him: a young man, probably in his early twenties, with dark hair and bright gray eyes. He was small and androgynous, and Erwin's first impression of him was surprise that a criminal who would snatch his phone would be so clean and neat. He was winded from running, and his hair was slightly mussed, but otherwise, he was presentable enough that Erwin could have believed he just came from work at a respectable place of business, if he hadn't witnessed his phone being stolen.

He looked not so much angry as unamused, and he made no move to harm Erwin, or pull away yet, glancing down at the flowers in Erwin's arm. "You run all that way to give me those?"

"I'd rather not drop them," said Erwin, though he was aware that it was absurd. He wouldn't have expected that he'd be able to do all that with the use of only one arm, but people didn't know their limits until they were tested.

"You're sure determined."

"I'd like my phone back, please."

"So you can call the cops? No."

"I won't need to call the cops if you give me back my phone," said Erwin, although calling the proper authorities would have been the correct thing to do. Today wasn't a day for doing what he was supposed to do, apparently.

"How can I trust you?" asked the thief. "You're clearly insane."

"And you're a thief, so the distrust is mutual."

"All right, let's make a deal. I'll let you keep the phone, if you tell me one thing."

"Really? You will?" The thief was glaring at him suspiciously.

"Two things."

"Fine, I'll tell you two things, but I still think you're crazy."

Erwin thought that he might have been right about that. He had no reason to agree to give up his phone. But he had a good sense about people, and he couldn't bring himself to believe that this thief was all that bad. "First, what's your name?"

He rolled his eyes as if to say _that's what you wanted to know?_ , but he answered. "Levi."

He could easily have been lying, but Erwin accepted this answer. "Secondly, why did you steal the phone?"

Levi--if that was his name--shrugged. "I need the money."

"You're hardly going to get that much for a phone. Was it worth the risk?"

"Apparently not, since I've got to deal with this shit," he said, with a sigh.

"You're young and healthy, not to mention obviously intelligent. I'm sure you could find a job."

"I'm an ex-con," said Levi, flatly. "I just got out. Who's gonna hire me? And I need the money now."

Erwin considered this. "If I let you go," he said, "are you going to run?"

Levi shrugged. "I might, I might not."

"I'd prefer that you don't. I'd rather not do any more running today." He released Levi's arm, and for some reason, Levi remained standing before him, although Erwin had judged it equally likely that he'd make his escape at the first opportunity. "Good," he said. "I have an offer for you, if you're interested."

"What kind of offer?" Levi looked even more suspicious now, and Erwin tried not to contemplate what ideas might be running through his mind.

"I'd like to offer you a job, working for me."

"What?" Levi's suspicion was overwhelmed by shock.

"If you truly need money and only stole the phone because you can't get a job, then I'm willing to offer you employment. I own a flower shop, and I'm looking for an assistant."

"I don't know shit about flowers."

"That's fine. I'm willing to teach you."

"You really are crazy."

"I might be." The strain of recent months could have been too much for him, because here he was, offering a job to an admitted convicted felon who'd just stolen his phone. It was an impulse that could have been attributed to insanity, but even realizing how foolish this might be didn't cause him to reconsider. "I'll need you to make deliveries, so you'll need the phone. Here. I'll give you my card." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "I'll tell you the phone's password tomorrow. There's the address. You can come in at eight."

Levi frowned down at the card in his hand. "Flower to the People?" he asked.

"Yes, that's the name of the shop."

"Seriously?" He rolled his eyes again. "Who thought that up?"

"I did, as a matter of fact, when I was thirteen years old."

"I should have known," said Levi, as if he'd already gotten enough of an idea of what Erwin was like to make those remarks about him. "Fine," he said. "Maybe I'll come by tomorrow, and maybe I won't." He turned and started to walk away. Erwin could have broken his promise. He could have tackled him and tried to get the phone back, or he could have called the police with a description of Levi. Having admitted he was a felon who'd just got out of jail, he probably would be in their records, and it wouldn't be that difficult for them to track him down. But he knew already that he wouldn't do those things.

He looked down at the flowers in his arms. They were worse for the wear. Some of the blooms and leaves had been crushed, and some of the petals had fallen off. They were still beautiful for all that, to Erwin's mind, but they weren't going to please Mrs. Anderson. He'd have to find a way to call her and tell her he'd had technical difficulties. First, he'd have to make the long walk back to his van.

***

Fortunately, Mrs. Anderson was understanding, and through determination and the power of sheer will, Erwin was able to get the order to its destination before the party. He didn't forget about his new "employee", but he had other things to worry about, such as his work and obtaining a new phone.

It was possible that he'd given up the phone for nothing and wouldn't see Levi again, but losing the phone wasn't that bad. His phone was password protected, and all his important data, like the personal photos and his lists of contacts, was backed up. He accounted for the fact that phones were small, vulnerable things and might be lost. It was odd to think that Levi could have gone through all those things if he'd managed to break into the phone, could look at his pictures and his old texts. He imagined Levi would wipe all that information out, especially if he wasn't planning on taking the job, but Erwin had no way of knowing how curious he'd be about the crazy florist.

That night, as he lay in bed, he asked himself what he'd been thinking. Sometimes he experienced these impulses, and if he wasn't careful, he'd give in to them, taking risks and making decisions others would consider reckless. Like offering his phone and a job to a criminal he'd caught in the act. He sighed. How likely was it that he'd see that man again? Probably not very. No one else would have done that, but he'd had a sense, a _feeling_ , that he should. He'd given in to it.

When, the next morning, Levi appeared at the door of the shop exactly at eight, Erwin wasn't sure if he was surprised or not. His intuition--if that was what it was--had told him Levi would, but his common sense had insisted otherwise. Standing behind the counter, busy with some paperwork, Erwin looked up as the bell on the door jangled faintly, signifying a new arrival. "Hi," said Levi emotionlessly as he stepped inside, peering around the store.

"Hello. It's good to see you," said Erwin, as if he saw Levi every day. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." Levi approached the counter. "So. I'm here."

"I have something for you to fill out, if you wouldn't mind." He'd readied everything, as if expecting his new employee would appear, and he handed Levi a form. "You can sit down in the back." He gestured to a door behind the counter which led to the staff-only area.

Levi frowned down at the form, not budging. "I don't have an address."

Erwin hesitated. "That is a problem, but I'll deal with it. Put down what you can. You have a phone now, at least."

"Right. I have a phone." Levi pulled the very familiar phone in question out of his pocket before putting it back.

Erwin was sure he wanted the password, but he wasn't going to offer it immediately. "Where have you been living, if you don't mind me asking?"

Levi shrugged. "Squatting."

He'd said it so casually. "That is a concern. It isn't safe." Not only that, but he'd have no way to contact him other than the phone, which brought up some concerns. No one else would hire this man, he was sure, but instead of this deterring Erwin, it made him more determined to hire him. Why was that?

"I'll be fine," said Levi. "I know what I'm doing."

Erwin wasn't going to allow this state of affairs to continue, but for now, it was more politic not to push Levi. Yet he was aware of how easily Levi might be able to disappear, without any address, after he'd been given access to the register and the van. It continued to be a risky situation, but since Levi had arrived promptly at eight, he was willing to continue with this project. "All right, I'll work something out." An employee with no known addressed posed logistical problems too, but he knew some people in the community who might be able to help him sort that out.

"You gonna pay me under the table?" Levi asked. He was standing with his weight shifted to one foot, and Erwin had the sense that he was the one being interviewed.

"Is that what you want?"

"This is how you're planning to get cheap labor, right? Bet you need the cut rate help, running this shitty little flower shop."

Erwin didn't appreciate hearing the flower shop that had been his father's dream and livelihood referred to in that manner, but he remained calm. "I intend to pay you a proper wage, if that's what you're asking. I'm not attempting to con you, Levi."

Levi frowned, visible confusion briefly showing in faint lines that appeared on his forehead. "So this is legit."

"That's right. I'd prefer that you work here full time. Five days a week, and I'll offer you your choice of days off, for a start."

Levi said nothing, but he didn't object, so Erwin took this as acquiescence. Watching him, Erwin guessed that Levi honestly wanted a legitimate job. Why else would he have come? Erwin hadn't threatened him with going to the police, and he had had no intention to do so, even if Levi had decided to vanish along with his phone. "Fill the form out to the best of your ability," he said. At this point, he wasn't expecting much information, but anything was better than nothing. He moved behind the counter, and this time, Levi followed him into the staff room. He took a seat and very quickly filled out the form. He could read and write, that was clear. Prison illiteracy rates were high. Not that he would have penalized Levi for not knowing how to read, but it was one less thing he'd have to teach him.

"We'll start out simply," he said, as he accepted the completed form and glanced down at it. "You said you don't know a great deal about flowers, so I'm prepared to teach you. We'll start slow. I have some books back here that you can look through. You can familiarize yourself with the names and appearances of the flowers in them."

"You're paying me for looking at flower books?"

"That's right," said Erwin. Considering Levi's continued suspicion, he didn't doubt that Levi was wondering if he'd be paid for today. Erwin didn't intend to cheat him. He didn't want to be that kind of employer. Not only was it against his principles, but that kind of employer deserved the kinds of employees they got.

Levi shrugged, as if to say it was Erwin's money, so he could spend it on what he wanted. As far as Erwin was concerned, it was important training. He had to see the broad picture before he could deal with specifics. Erwin wanted a competent florist assistant, not simply someone to work the register and sweep the floors. "I'm going out on the floor. You can stay here and read. There's tea and coffee in the cupboard, and you can help yourself to them, or any drinks there might be in the fridge." He kept filtered water in there, but there was usually juice as well.

Business wasn't wonderful, but it wasn't bad, either. He had his regular customers, and every day had its birthdays and anniversaries, so there was a slow but steady stream of people into the store. At about noon, he noticed that there was a lull in business, as usually happened around the lunch hour. He locked the door and put up the necessary "back soon" sign, moving the paper clock's hands ahead. In the staff room, he found Levi still pouring over the books, glaring very intently at the glossy pictures of flowers, with a cup of tea at his side. Erwin paused in the doorway, studying him. Even when he was at rest, alone, his face didn't soften. He was weary and wary. 

"Do you like them?" Erwin thought to ask for the first time.

Levi started, and his head came up. "What?"

"Do you like flowers?"

Levi stared at him as if Erwin had asked him a penetrating philosophical question that he couldn't begin to answer. "Does it matter?"

"I was wondering if you had an interest, that's all." It was his mother who had initially been truly interested in flowers, but his father had adopted some of that passion, and Erwin had grown up with it, surrounded by leaves and petals, leafing through flower catalogues, memorizing Latin names and local ones.

"They're there. They're fine," opined Levi poetically. Erwin imagined that Levi might have found admitting a fondness for flowers to be incompatible with his masculinity, but he didn't know him well enough to be certain about that suspicion. 

"I didn't mean to interrupt you," said Erwin, accepting this brusque answer with a nod, "but I wondered if you were hungry. You could take a break."

"I'm fine," said Levi.

So he was here, and he was fine, like the flowers. There wasn't much that was flowerlike about Levi. He was small, but he wasn't colorful, or delicate, or open. He was tough and hardy. More like a cactus than a blossom. It was a silly thought, so Erwin smiled, faintly. "You're welcome not to eat, but I'd like to take a break, so why don't you join me?"

"Join you where?"

"I thought we could go to the café next door."

Wordlessly, Levi got to his feet, putting the book aside. Once again, Erwin could guess at what he was thinking: that he had to go, no matter if he wanted to eat, because Erwin wasn't going to leave him unattended in the store. He was right about that. He was taking a chance on Levi, but he wasn't stupid, and he wasn't planning to leave him alone with the till. Levi followed him out, and Erwin locked the door behind them.

The café was fairly busy, as it was lunchtime, but once Erwin came in, a tall man emerged from behind the counter, moving easily through the crowd. "Hey, Erwin. You want the usual?" He glanced down at Levi, but didn't say anything.

"Levi, this is my friend Mike." Erwin and Mike had been friends since they were children, and although they hadn't grown up to work together, they'd grown up to work next door to each other.

"I could have guessed that," Levi said. "He named his café _Mike's_."

Mike nodded and smiled. "That's right."

"It's better than Flower to the People," Levi decided.

"Mike," said Erwin, as if he hadn't heard that exchange, "this is Levi, my new assistant florist."

"Oh," said Mike, his head swinging around from Erwin to face Levi. "Congratulations." He looked Levi over curiously, in the way he had that some people found odd or intimidating. He was simply very frank and didn't have the same bubble of personal space that most people in the city carried around with them. Erwin didn't believe that Mike would guess at Levi's past, or at what he'd been doing as recently as yesterday. He was very neatly dressed, his hair carefully combed. His clothes were plain and a little worn, but clean. Erwin wondered where he was washing, if he was squatting.

If Levi was intimidated, he didn't show it. He stared back. "What?" he demanded.

"Second flush muscatel darjeeling," said Mike finally.

"What?" asked Levi again, with more confusion and less aggression in his voice.

Mike didn't stop to answer him. He was already turning away from him, and he quickly disappeared behind the counter. "He likes to pick out drinks for people," Erwin explained. "He considers himself an expert at it. Come on, let's find a seat, if there is one." He and Mike may have been best friends, but Erwin wouldn't have wanted him to disturb a customer so that he didn't have to wait for a seat. Fortunately, there was a small, round table in one corner that had been recently vacated, and there was just enough room surrounding it for Levi and Erwin to squeeze into their chairs.

When Mike returned, it was for long enough to deposit a cup and teapot in front of Levi, before he hurried back to his work.

"He's doing a lot better than you are," Levi murmured, as he sniffed at his tea and surveyed the busy seating area.

"So he is," said Erwin. He couldn't deny that the café was currently more successful than his flower shop. Independent florists were in decline. The online companies were difficult to combat, large and with a long reach. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't give up his father's dream. But these weren't matters he was willing to discuss with Levi, so he said, lightly, "I'll have to ask him for some business tips."

"Good, you could use it," said Levi, and Erwin wasn't sure if he was joking, or testing him, but he let it pass. Mike suddenly returned again, with two sandwiches. He set down one in front of Erwin and one in front of Levi, before departing as quickly as he arrived, with one of his usual nods. He didn't talk a lot, especially when he was working.

"Forget I said that," said Levi, staring after Mike. "Doesn't he take orders?"

"He does, for ordinary customers, but I've been coming here for a while, and he knows me well."

Levi nodded. "You're not ordinary." He shook his head. "You guys are weird." Nonetheless, he wasn't complaining about the offerings. He started to eat the sandwich, and Erwin could tell by the carefully restrained way that he ate that he was quite hungry, no matter what he'd said earlier. Levi kept an eye on his tea, and when he judged it ready, he poured it out into the cup, then raised the cup to his lips, inhaling deeply before he drank. His expression didn't alter, but Erwin had the feeling that he was pleased. He was very still and quiet for a moment.

Levi was somewhat odd himself: a criminal who had stolen his phone and was now calmly and obediently working for him. Erwin didn't point this fact out. There was a great deal he didn't know about Levi, but he expected he would learn more about him as the days passed, if Levi continued to show up to work every day.

The rest of the first day passed without incident, Levi dutifully reading about flowers while Erwin moved between the shop floor and the work room where he did his arranging. The bells on the door rang whenever it opened, summoning him from the back when a customer arrived, but running a store on his own was draining. It had been a mistake to think he could, although he understood why he'd done it. He missed his father's calm presence, his silly jokes, his patient care for flowers and customers. He missed his father.

The store was open until seven, in order to accommodate those who just had to pick up flowers on their way home from work, but he let Levi go at five. "Come in at eight again tomorrow. Oh, and one more thing."

"What?" Levi, who'd been about to walk away, turned, gazing up at him severely.

"Here." He handed him a slip of paper, on which the password for the phone was written.

Levi looked down at it without a word, then left. Erwin watched him go, wondering if he would be back the next day.

He was. He was just as prompt as the previous day. Defying ordinary expectations, Levi was a good employee. He was strong, too. Pulling out the street displays in the morning had never been so quick and easy, and after a few days, Levi waved him away so that he could do it himself. He had effectively taught himself the names of flowers, and when Erwin quizzed him on them, he was seldom wrong. Erwin trained him on the register, and although he had some qualms about Levi's brisk, terse treatment of the customers, he learned the procedures as swiftly and thoroughly as he learned everything else. Still--customer service, he sensed, was not Levi's strong suit. That was fine. There was no shortage of other tasks to assign him.

He didn't learn a great deal more about Levi as the days passed. Levi didn't talk about himself, and he rarely asked about Erwin. He obviously had little interest in small talk as well, though he would answer if spoken to. Occasionally, he'd make some brief commentary that Erwin found amusing, about dead flowers or problem customers or the smell of the city outside. They usually didn't take breaks together, but Erwin told Levi to eat at Mike's and have Mike put it on his tab. He did so, but later, Mike informed him that Levi insisted on paying him back for everything he ate and drank.

Erwin was often conscious of Levi's gaze on him. Levi's gray eyes were cool and often expressed wariness or scorn, but they were intelligent, observant, and Erwin had the idea that he was still being judged. This evaluation was mutual. Outwardly, their relationship was one of employer and employee, but its odd beginning marked it as different. They had been criminal and victim, then hunter and hunted. Yet it wasn't long before they'd spent so much time working together that the idea of being colleagues began to overwrite his earlier impressions of Levi. He wasn't sure if Levi trusted him, but he was coming to find that he trusted Levi. Not completely, but more than he'd thought he would. 

That was not to say that Levi couldn't surprise him. Levi had been in Erwin's employ for many weeks when he asked his first truly personal question, and it wasn't a timid one. As far as he was concerned, it came without warning. It was late in the afternoon. The store was empty. Erwin was making an arrangement for a bat mitzvah, carefully shifting the flowers into the proper arrangement. The work room was kept cool, for the sake of the blooms' longevity. He was aware of Levi standing behind him, watching him. He'd been sweeping the floor, but he paused in his efforts to observe Erwin. Erwin allowed him to watch; that was one of the best ways for him to learn. "Hey," said Levi, finally.

"Yes, what is it?" Erwin asked, keeping his eyes on the flowers as he manipulated them.

There was a long hesitation before Levi answered him. "Are you gay?"

Erwin was startled by the question, coming so suddenly from someone who had previously displayed no inclination to speak about personal matters. He turned away from the flowers, very aware of the fact that his face was heating. The air in the work room felt even cooler than usual on his skin, in contrast "Excuse me?"

Instead of looking directly at him, Levi focused on the flowers he'd just been tending to. "You heard me."

"So I did," said Erwin. He knew nothing about Levi's view of gay people, as they hadn't discussed the matter before, and Levi's tone had a decided lack of emotion. It was an inappropriate question in the workplace, and Erwin didn't have to answer, but he had no reason to be closeted. He didn't like to make a secret of his sexuality, as if there were something wrong with it. "I am, as it so happens." He studied Levi to gauge his reaction, but there was none. Levi shrugged, that was all. The bells chimed as the door to the shop swung open, heralding the arrival of a new customer. "I'll go," said Erwin, abandoning his arrangement, half-finished. His face was still warm. He had to focus on something else.

Levi, for all his seeming disinterest, hadn't dropped the subject, because once the customer left, he emerged from the back rooms. He put his broom down, leaning it against the wall, and approached Erwin, who was standing near the register. He asked, with the same indifference, "So, you got a boyfriend?" He still wasn't facing Erwin directly, but studied the screen of the register as if there was something of interest written there for him.

"No, I don't." Part of Erwin wanted to drop the subject and leave it at that, which would have been the sensible course of action, but instead, he inquired, "Why do you ask?"

Levi turned to look at him, eyes narrow, gaze flat. "Huh?"

"Why did you ask if I was gay? Did you think that I was?"

After a hesitation, Levi admitted, "Maybe."

Erwin supposed he should address the elephant in the room: the topiary elephant, in this case. "Because I'm a florist?"

Levi didn't say anything, scowling at some nearby lilies. "Partly," he said, finally. "You seemed like it."

Erwin wasn't about to let this pass without comment. He knew that he and Levi had likely been raised in very different environments, but that was no reason to leave such assumptions unchallenged. "That's a stereotype, and like all stereotypes, it's harmful. I happen to be gay, but just because a man has a job like florist or hairdresser or model or clothing designer, that doesn't mean he's going to be gay. The same goes for men who act or speak in certain ways. You're a florist now too, if you recall."

Levi sighed. "I didn't need a lecture. I asked cause I wanted to know. That's it. You didn't have to answer."

This was true, and as Levi didn't argue with him, not even to object to being called a florist, Erwin was mollified. He assumed that Levi wasn't homophobic, at least not to the extent where he was going to have a problem working with him. He hadn't insulted him or used any slurs, so Erwin didn't feel threatened or annoyed. "I did answer. So now you know."

"Right." Levi shrugged and went back to sweeping.

It was possible that it had been simple curiosity, Erwin reflected. It wasn't as if he'd never encountered that phenomenon before. It was just that it seemed odd coming from Levi, not because he was a criminal, but because of his almost absurd avoidance of personal conversations. Erwin decided it was best to put it out of his mind. He knew better than to try and ask Levi any personal questions in return. He respected his privacy, even if, at the same time, he wished he knew more about the man who was serving as his assistant. The fact that he was a former criminal with a mysterious past and no known address was one of the stumbling blocks in the way of him fully accepting and trusting him as a colleague. He'd expected that Levi would open up to him before now, if only somewhat. He'd been nothing but patient and honest with him.

At five o' clock, he expected Levi to leave, as he usually did, but he remained in the back room, cleaning. The shop, though it had been clean before, had become immaculate since Levi had started working there. "Levi," he said, thinking he might have lost track of the time in his ardor for scrubbing, "It's five."

"I know," said Levi.

"You don't have to stay."

Levi shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do."

Erwin had grown used to working his long eight AM to seven PM shift and closing up alone, but he made no protest. "If you do want to stay longer, I'll pay you for it, of course."

"I know."

"You can keep cleaning here, then. There's not much else to do at the moment." Levi nodded. Erwin wondered what he was thinking, and why the sudden change in his habit, but it was as good a time as any to teach him closing procedures. Levi was slowly coming to know all the workings of the store. He was a fine employee. Erwin was lucky; his unorthodox hiring procedure had been a success. He stood watching Levi. His movements were practiced and sure. He was small, but there was nothing delicate about him. Even his hands were strong and muscular. He caught himself remembering how Levi had asked him if he was gay, if he had a boyfriend. If the context were different, he might have thought...

Levi looked up from his work. "What?"

"Nothing," said Erwin, turning away. "I'll be at the register."

The next two hours passed quickly. Erwin had some paperwork to complete, and he worked on it between customers. He was conscious of Levi's nearby presence, but Levi didn't emerge from the back until seven, appearing suddenly and looking to Erwin as if awaiting instruction. Erwin provided it willingly. They brought in the outside displays, discarding any withered flowers and returning the rest to the coolers. Erwin showed him how to shut down the register. There wasn't a great deal to do, and with Levi's help, it was all done in a matter of minutes.

Erwin started to count the till himself, standing at the counter. It wasn't that he distrusted Levi, but he generally didn't have him work with the money. "Thank you for the extra help, but you don't have to stay any longer."

"I know." Levi was standing close, watching him work again. It wasn't unusual, and Erwin was concentrating on his counting, when Levi reached out and settled a hand on Erwin's waist. Erwin stilled. He felt Levi's gaze on him. Levi had never touched him before. There'd been almost no physical contact between them since the day they'd met, when Erwin had grabbed him.

When Erwin didn't pull away or say anything, Levi's hand slid around to his back, settling in the center of it, then sweeping slowly down, stroking him. Erwin was seldom taken by surprise, but he hadn't been expecting this--although looking back, he was aware that he had willfully ignored the signs, either not wanting or not able to recognize them for what they were. "Levi." 

"Yeah?"

Erwin wasn't sure what to say. Being at a loss for words was another state of affairs he was unaccustomed to. This was a terrible idea. Not only was Levi his employee, but he knew next to nothing about him. He didn't know why he'd been incarcerated or what he did with his free time, not even where he lived. With Levi was simply working for him, this presented some problems, but nothing unsurmountable. This--this was different.

While he was hesitating, Levi's hand slid down past his belt and over the curve of his ass, obliterating whatever words he'd been formulating. Levi's hand firmed its touch, squeezing him. Erwin's mouth felt very dry. He licked his lips. "You like that?" Levi asked, squeezing harder.

"This isn't a good idea." Erwin at last managed to formulate a response.

"You want me to stop?" Levi loosened his grip. His retreat was minimal, but perceivable. Erwin was sure that if he said yes, he wanted Levi to stop, he would. It would have been easy, but that wasn't what he wanted.

"No, I don't." He could only imagine what kind of complications this would engender, but right now, he was distracted by the hand on his ass, and Levi's proximity as he stepped closer. Levi positioned himself behind Erwin, wrapping an arm around his waist. It had been a while since Erwin had been with a man. He'd always tended to focus more on his work than on his relationships, but he'd felt the lack of physicality, and his reaction to being touched was immediate. He was already hard, as Levi discovered when his hand slid down between Erwin's legs. He made a soft noise of approval, stroking Erwin through his trousers. Erwin was breathing hard, very aware of the air moving over his now-parched mouth. He was aware of Levi's fingers moving at his belt, and then his fly, and he made no move to stop him as Levi pulled his pants down over his hips. There was no longer any need to wonder why Levi had asked him if he was gay.

"You want to fuck?" Levi asked, as brusque as he usually was.

"Yes, but I can't--"

"Why not?"

"We need to use protection." He wasn't about to do without. If he thought he knew little about Levi as a person, he knew absolutely nothing about his sexual history.

"I've got condoms," said Levi. "It's fine."

He'd clearly been planning this, or hoping for it. The presence of condoms was reassuring, but only to a point. The sensible thing would be to stop this now, but the sensible thing would have been to never hire Levi in the first place, and he hadn't done that. 

Levi released his cock and stepped away. Erwin wasn't sure why, but this respite was his chance to collect himself, to stop this--but he didn't Although he kept telling himself to do the sensible thing, Erwin found himself stepping out of his trousers again, spreading his legs apart, so that he was ready when Levi returned to him. Turning his head, he saw why he'd left. He was wearing a pair of the nitrile gloves they wore sometimes when cutting flowers. As Erwin watched, Levi pulled a packet from his pocket that clearly wasn't a condom--of course, it was lube. Levi ripped it open with his teeth, then squeezed it out onto his fingers.

He closed his eyes as Levi pressed a slick finger inside of him. God. It was good, good to be touched again. He was so tired of the stress and worry and grief that had pressed him down, that he wanted to stop thinking of things, to focus on that pressure, the finger pushing deeper inside him. He widened his stance, instinctively lowering himself, very aware of the height difference between the two of them, pushing back from the counter though he kept his hands against it to steady himself. It had been a while, but this was hardly his first time, or anything close to it. He knew what he was doing, and Levi clearly did as well. Erwin glanced toward the front windows, aware that someone looking in could possibly see them, but it was late, and the lights were out. The counter was set farther back in the shop, and that was unlikely. It was a calculated risk--and this was his store, his property. He could do what he wanted. This was what he wanted now. "Please, Levi."

Levi slipped in another finger, flexing them in unison. "Tight," said Levi, admiringly, and Erwin blushed, surprised to find himself so embarrassed, as if he was a boy again. Sex between adults was nothing to be embarrassed about, but that was how he felt, uncharacteristically nervous, the tips of his ears heating. "Damn," said Levi, as he thrust his two fingers deep inside Erwin, making Erwin moan. "Fuck, I can't wait."

Yet he had to, as he had to contend with slippery gloves and an unopened condom, and Erwin suspected he wasn't the only one who was unsteady and nervous, but he waited patiently, and Levi recovered quickly, pulling off his gloves now that he'd readied Erwin's ass. Erwin turned his head to watch him, admiring his cock as he rolled his condom on, down to the base. Levi grabbed his hip with one hand, positioning Erwin at his level, and Erwin let himself be led. He made a short, desperate noise as Levi pushed inside him. There was some pain, but that was good. He focused on it. Pain was good, feeling was good, and the discomfort was shortly displaced, or augmented, by a deep warmth. He hadn't realized how much he'd wanted this. He must have been suppressing his desire, because now, all he could think of was Levi's sure hands; Levi's sharp, handsome face; and of course, Levi's cock.

"Please," he said again.

Levi wasn't easy on him, but he wasn't rough, his strokes long and firm. "Shit. I knew you'd be good."

How long had he been thinking of him like that? How long had he been thinking of Levi like this? When he'd first seen him, he'd thought--he'd been surprised by his appearance, and honestly, by how attractive he was, although it hadn't been the time for such observations. Now, that was what he thought, spreading his legs farther apart for Levi, pressing back against him as if that could make it possible to get more of Levi's cock inside him.

"Shit," said Levi again, with greater intensity this time. "Erwin. So good." He reached around to stroke Erwin's cock, and it was all Erwin could do to remain on his feet as the pleasure surged through him. This was probably a mistake, but it felt so good that he didn't care. He wanted to beg for it, so he did, though he was hardly aware of what he was saying. Levi's thrusts grew quicker, harder, though his hand on Erwin's cock didn't falter. Levi didn't speak again, but Erwin could hear his breath, loud in the quiet shop, and the soft grunts he made were proof enough of his enjoyment.

Levi was as efficient in this as he was in carrying out all his duties. His hand's sureness and Erwin's own sensitivity carried him over. For the first time in what must have been a year or more, he came with a man's cock in his ass. He made a quiet noise, little more than a sigh, as come spilled over Levi's hand to splatter the floor at his feet. He felt himself tighten around Levi's cock, and Levi gripped his hip, hard, exhaling. He moved faster, hips striking Erwin's ass, and though it was almost too much, he did more than bear it. He enjoyed it, relished it, opened himself up to Levi and thought of absolutely nothing until Levi let out a gasp, and Erwin knew he must have come, because of how he made one last, quick thrust and then stilled.

"Shit," he said again, pulling out, his hand at the base of the condom. Erwin swallowed, wondering if he'd ever start to breathe normally again. Levi retreated to rid himself of the condom, remoiving it carefully and then disposing of it in the wastebasket. While he did this, Erwin bent down to pull up his trousers. His legs felt oddly shaky. Levi hadn't kissed him or said anything affectionate, and Erwin had no idea what he was thinking as he was subjected to the other man's usual hard, clear gaze. Had he just wanted to fuck? Erwin didn't find Levi difficult to read on the whole, but where this matter was concerned, he must have had a blind spot, because he didn't know what to think, other than to think that it was good and that he'd wanted it.

"I'm leaving," Levi announced, making no mention of what they'd done as he passed by Erwin. His fly was done up and he was his usual neat self, reaching up to smooth his hair down.

Erwin considered pressing him on the subject, but he decided to go easy on him. He was partly tempted to ask Levi to stay, conscious of his own faint soreness and stick warmth and well aware that Levi could increase all these factors. But he was thinking more clearly now--less driven by his dick. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Maybe," Levi said, but he said this often, and Erwin suspected it was because he didn't like small talk, because he didn't like to be expected to behave in any particular way. He may have caught Erwin off guard, but Erwin knew this. He knew Levi would be back tomorrow at eight, appearing as he always did, unless he had the day off.

"Maybe," said Erwin agreeably. He was oddly pleased. It was an unfamiliar feeling: light, as if some weight had been lifted, and he suddenly understood that he hadn't been happy in a while.


End file.
